Ambient energy thermodynamic engine

ABSTRACT

The thermodynamics of an engine require that there be a source of energy (usually in the form of heat) from which energy is taken, processed to convert this heat energy into useful torque (energy) on an output shaft, and the energy returned to a lower temperature sink. The amount of useful energy that a thermodynamic engine can transfer to the process fluid from the heat source is some proportion of the difference in the energy available between the source and sink, and the efficiency of converting the process fluid energy into useful output shaft torque. This renewable energy source thermodynamic engine manipulates the process fluid temperature to lower it below ambient temperature to use ambient heat as the source, then processes the fluid to elevate the fluid above ambient temperature to us the ambient as the sink.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

This application relates to a renewable energy source thermodynamic engine that operates by extracting energy from the ambient surrounding and converting this energy into useful mechanical energy.

2. Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.

Renewable energy power sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydrodynamic are desirable because they do not add to the carbon foot print and do not contribute carbon dioxide to the environment. Nuclear power also does not add to the carbon foot print or to the addition of carbon dioxide. The other trait that all of these technologies have in common is that they are either not portable or not readily operable 24/7.

Carbon based power sources (gasoline, diesel, natural gas, hydrogen) have the advantage of being a mobile power source, but they contribute to the carbon foot print and add output carbon dioxide.

The renewable energy source thermodynamic engine relates to the generation of power via renewable energy, does not add to the carbon foot print, does not output carbon dioxide and has the capability of being a mobile power source.

Current art for thermodynamic engines requires a heat source and a heat sink where energy is extracted from the source converted to mechanical work and returned to the lower temperature sink in accordance with the laws of thermodynamics.

A number of patents or publications have been made that address the classic thermodynamic heat engine and classic thermodynamic heat engine variations.

There is no prior art for a thermodynamic heat engine that manipulates the process fluid temperature such that the source and sink can be at the same temperature, and by extension the source and the sink can be the same energy reservoir.

Typically a thermodynamic heat engine uses the ambient temperature as the sink.

What is needed is a thermodynamic engine that can use the local ambient as both the source and the sink. The disclosed device allows renewable energy to be extracted from the ambient temperature energy as the source and also use the ambient temperature as the sink.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the ambient energy thermodynamic engine to be a closed loop process.

It is an object of the ambient energy thermodynamic engine to consist of a working process medium that contains a major fluid working fluid, and may contain additional minor working fluids; suspended within the working fluid(s), either in solution or as a fluidized bed, are particles, compounds and or elements.

It is an object of the ambient energy thermodynamic engine to use the thermodynamic properties of the particles going into and out of solution to raise and lower the working fluid temperature where the ambient temperature can now be used as the source and sink.

It is another object of the ambient energy thermodynamic engine for the thermodynamic engine is scalable in size. Because the thermodynamic engine is scalable the engine can be fabricated in various sizes to accommodate the amount of power that is required for a particular situation.

It is another object of the ambient energy thermodynamic engine for the thermodynamic engine to be mobile and or portable. Portability allows the thermodynamic engine to be moved to a location where the thermodynamic engine is needed without requiring the work to be brought to the thermodynamic engine.

It is still another object of the ambient energy thermodynamic engine for the engine to operate as a renewable energy source thermodynamic engine that relates to a renewable energy power source that uses ambient temperature as its source of energy. The ambient energy is drawn from the surrounding environment to provide nearly unlimited renewable energy that does not deplete resources such as coal, oil, wood or gas.

Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 shows the ideal (100% efficient) process flow embodiment of the ambient energy thermodynamic engine.

FIG. 2 shows a Mollier diagram of the ideal process with common description identifiers to FIG. 1

FIG. 3 shows a typical (with inefficiencies) process flow embodiment of the ambient energy thermodynamic engine.

FIG. 4 shows a Mollier diagram for a typical process with common description identifiers to FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the ambient energy thermodynamic engine in a process flow format where each circle 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 is a process state where work is performed on the process fluid. The inlet and outlet A, B, C, D and E of each process state, represent the condition and state of the process fluid at each point. The lines A, B, C, D and E connecting each process state at each end of the process state 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 have the same process. This shows that the line(s) A, B, C, D and E transport the working fluid but does not do any work on the process fluid.

The process fluid is critical to the renewable energy source thermodynamic engine. The process fluid must have the necessary characteristics. An embodiment of the process fluid is to be a 2-part solution made up of a fluid and solids where the fluid is ammonia (NH₃) and the solids are ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃). The fluid could also be multiple fluids and the solids could be multiple types of solids. The 2-part exists as a semi-solid with both fluid and solids. The fluid transports the solids through the process.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the ambient energy thermodynamic engine in a Mollier diagram where each lettered box represents the condition and state of the process fluid at each point and the lines on the Mollier diagram correspond to the numbered process states of FIG. 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION

The process fluid circulates 9 in a closed loop where it is compressed 10, has heat energy added 20, changes state to a gas 30 and solid fluidized bed exothermically adding more heat, expands 40 and cools while doing work applying energy to an output shaft, changes state to a liquid 50 endothermically dissolving the solids cooling the liquid. At this point the process repeats itself.

When the ideal closed loop is mapped against FIG. 2, the following is the process.

Starting at Point A, the working fluid is fully liquid with all of the solids in solution. The working fluid is at its coldest temperature and lowest pressure.

Process state 10, a pump, moves the working fluid from Point A to Point B by doing work on the process fluid in the form of increasing its pressure. Pressurization is isentropic and adiabatic for any ideal process

At Point B the working fluid is still fully liquid with all of the solid in solution. The pressure has been increased. The working fluid temperature at Point B is the same as Point A.

Process state 20, a heat exchanger, moves the working fluid from Point B to Point C by doing work on the process fluid in the form of adding heat increasing its temperature. The heat source is the heat energy in the ambient air or water. Process state 20 adds energy to the working to the point where the solid starts to come out of solution.

At Point C the working fluid starts to vaporize to the point where the working solid starts to come out of solution. The solids used in this embodiment are highly exothermic as they come out of solution. At Point C the working fluid is now part gas and part liquid. The temperature of the fluid is the boiling point of the saturated liquid working fluid.

Process state 30, a transition nozzle, moves the working fluid from Point C to Point D by doing internal work on the process fluid in the form of adding the latent heat required to complete the vaporization of the working fluid. The exothermic heat of formation as the solids come out of solution is greater than the required latent heat needed to complete the vaporization of the working fluid. The excess heat energy increases the temperature of the gas-solid mixture.

At Point D the working fluid becomes completely gaseous and the solids come out of solution. The working fluid is now a fluidized bed of the solids being accelerated along by the vaporized working fluid.

Process state 40, a gas expander, moves the working fluid from Point D to Point E by extracting work from the fluidized bed, cooling and slowing the fluidized bed in the process. The extracted work is made available for use via an output shaft of the gas expander.

At Point E the working fluid starts to condense to the point where the working solid starts to go back into solution. The solids used in this embodiment are highly endothermic as they go into of solution. At Point E the working fluid is now part gas and part liquid. The temperature of the fluid is the boiling point of the condensing vapor working fluid.

Process state 50, a transition nozzle, moves the working fluid from Point E to Point A by doing internal work on the process fluid in the form of extracting the latent heat required to complete the condensation of the working fluid. The endothermic heat of formation as the solids going into of solution is greater than the required latent heat needed to complete the condensation of the working fluid. The excess endothermic energy decreases the temperature of the liquid solution.

The closed loop working fluid process 9 returns to Point A to repeat the process.

The inefficiencies of a non-ideal process are taken into account as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. These figures add the two process states 11 and 41.

Process state 41 is required because of the inefficiency in Process state 40. This inefficiency may not allow the output of the Process State 40 gas expander may not remove enough energy to allow the working fluid at Point E to begin to condense. To remove the additional heat energy required to allow the working fluid to begin to condense an additional heat exchange is added to the process circuit, as shown by Process States 41 and 11. The cold pressurized fluid of Point B is counter flowed in the heat exchanger against the warmer low pressure fluid at Point E. The cold fluid of Point B flows to Point B′ where it is warmed just enough to allow the warm fluidized bed of Point E to begin condensation at Point E′. Process States 11 and 41 are coupled 12.

Starting at Point A, the working fluid is fully liquid with all of the solids in solution. The working fluid is at its coldest temperature and lowest pressure.

Process state 10, a pump, moves the working fluid from Point A to Point B by doing work on the process fluid in the form of increasing its pressure. Pressurization is isentropic and adiabatic for any ideal process

At Point B the working fluid is still fully liquid with all of the solid in solution. The pressure has been increased. The working fluid temperature at Point B is the same as Point A.

Process State 11, a coupled heat exchanger to Process State 41, moves the working fluid from Point B to Point B′, transferring energy from the fluidized bed in Process State 41 to the fluid in Process State 11, allowing the fluidized bed exiting Phase State 41 to begin condensing.

At Point B′ is the working fluid is at the same pressure as the working fluid at Point B with increase enthalpy over Point B to allow for the heat addition of Process State 11.

Process state 20, a heat exchanger, moves the working fluid from Point B′ to Point C by doing work on the process fluid in the form of adding heat increasing its temperature. The heat source is the heat energy in the ambient air or water. Process state 20 adds energy to the working to the point where the solid starts to come out of solution.

At Point C the working fluid starts to vaporize to the point where the working solid starts to come out of solution. The solids used in this embodiment are highly exothermic as they come out of solution. At Point C the working fluid is now part gas and part liquid. The temperature of the fluid is the boiling point of the saturated liquid working fluid.

Process state 30, a transition nozzle, moves the working fluid from Point C to Point D by doing internal work on the process fluid in the form of adding the latent heat required to complete the vaporization of the working fluid. The exothermic heat of formation as the solids come out of solution is greater than the required latent heat needed to complete the vaporization of the working fluid. The excess heat energy increases the temperature of the gas-solid mixture.

At Point D the working fluid is now a fluidized bed of the solids being accelerated along by the vaporizing working fluid, as the working fluid becomes completely gaseous.

Process state 40, a gas expander, moves the working fluid from Point D to Point E by extracting work from the fluidized bed, cooling and slowing the fluidized bed in the process. The extracted work is made available for use via an output shaft of the gas expander.

At Point E the working fluid is a low pressure, cool fluidized bed combination of solids and vapor.

Process State 41, a coupled heat exchanger to Process State 11, moves the working fluid from Point E to Point E′, transferring energy from the fluidized bed in Process State 41 to the fluid in Process State 11, allowing the fluidized bed exiting Phase State 41 to begin condensing.

At Point E′ the working fluid starts to condense to the point where the working solid starts to go back into solution. The solids used in this embodiment are highly endothermic as they go into of solution. At Point E the working fluid is now part gas and part liquid. The temperature of the fluid is the boiling point of the condensing vapor working fluid.

Process state 50, a transition nozzle, moves the working fluid from Point E to Point A by doing internal work on the process fluid in the form of extracting the latent heat required to complete the condensation of the working fluid. The endothermic heat of formation as the solids going into of solution is greater than the required latent heat needed to complete the condensation of the working fluid. The excess endothermic energy decreases the temperature of the liquid solution.

The closed loop working fluid process returns to Point A to repeat the process.

Thus, specific embodiments of an ambient energy thermodynamic engine have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. 

1. A closed cycle thermodynamic process comprising: a process fluid consisting of a fluid component and a solid component wherein; a endothermic reaction of the solid component going into a solution lowers the process fluid temperature below an ambient temperature; the process fluid is then pressurized, and passed through a heat exchanger to create a pressurized heat mixture; ambient energy heat is added to the process fluid causing the process fluid to at least partially vaporize; an exothermic reaction of the solid component coming out of the solution raises the process fluid temperature above ambient where the pressurized heated mixture of the vapor and the solid component is passed through a gas expander to recovery thermodynamic energy, and a kinetic energy of the solid component provides work energy on an output shaft connected to the gas expander, with the vapor liquefying as the liquefied vapors temperature and pressure are reduced by the work energy extracted via the gas expander, thereby the solid components go back into the solution.
 2. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 1 wherein the fluid component consists of at least two fluids.
 3. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 2 wherein the at least two fluids are selected from a group consisting of water, ammonia, hydrocarbon fluid, fluorocarbon fluid, chlorofluorocarbon fluid, chlorocarbon, nitrogen based liquids, carbon based liquids and alcohol.
 4. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 1 wherein the solid component consist of at least two solids.
 5. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 4 wherein the at least two solids are selected from a group consisting of solids soluble in water, solids soluble in ammonia, solids soluble in hydrocarbon fluid, solids soluble in fluorocarbon fluid, solids soluble in chlorofluorocarbon fluid, solids soluble in chlorocarbon, solids soluble in nitrogen based liquids, solids soluble in carbon based liquids and solids soluble in alcohol.
 6. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 1 wherein the closed cycle thermodynamic process operates and produces work when a source and a sink are at the same temperature.
 7. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 1 wherein the closed cycle thermodynamic process improves the efficiency when a source and a sink are at different temperatures.
 8. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 1 wherein the closed cycle thermodynamic process uses a turbine or centrifugal motor to extract the work energy from the process fluid.
 9. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 1 wherein the closed cycle thermodynamic process acts as an air conditioner while operating and producing work energy.
 10. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 1 wherein the closed cycle thermodynamic process acts as a refrigerator while operating and producing work energy.
 11. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 1 wherein the closed cycle thermodynamic process wherein the heat source consists of a plurality of heat sources.
 12. The closed cycle thermodynamic process of claim 11 wherein the plurality of heat sources is selected from a group consisting of at least one of ambient air, heated air, cooled air, water, heated water, cooled water, solar, nuclear, industrial process fluids, commercial process fluids, exhaust gasses and exhaust liquids. 